ARTICLES ABOUT NEW COUNCIL BY DATE - PAGE 3

New Coplay Mayor John Milander said his laid-back style doesn't mean he won't work hard for his constituents. It just means he'll spend his time on what matters, not on trying to fix things that aren't broken. Milander was chosen by his colleagues in Coplay government last month to replace William Leiner Jr., who left the position after he was elected to the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners. Although they see him as more low-key than his predecessor, Milander's colleagues believe he is an appropriate choice to replace Leiner.

Perkasie residents won't see an increase in their tax bills or electric rates next year under a $13.5 million budget approved by Borough Council last week. But one councilman suggested the board may reopen the 2008 spending plan when four new members take office in January. Councilman Rich Hendricks said it's likely new council members will want to "tweak" parts of the budget next month. He voted against the budget's approval, saying there wasn't enough discussion about it. Hendricks said he has no reason to believe those new council members plan to raise taxes or the electric rate.

Perkasie council has given Councilman Harry McGonigal two more years on the board in a move that drew disapproval from some borough residents who packed a public meeting room Monday night. Although several people spoke in favor of the 60-year-old Republican's appointment to the Ward 2 seat recently vacated by Jim Boyer, others called the move in council's final meeting of the year a "sham" and "disgrace." Several claimed McGonigal wasn't worthy of keeping a seat on the nine-person board since he lost his bid for re-election in the May primary.

Keeping up with the Who's Who of Perkasie borough government isn't easy these days. The head of the electric and public works departments has, for the most part, been out of the office for the month leading up to his Dec. 14 departure. The head of the planning and zoning department left about three weeks ago. Council recently fired, then rehired, its administrative assistant and nearly fired its manager. And council Vice President Jim Boyer recently stepped down, saying he wants no part of working with an incoming group of council members.

With the restructuring of Easton government that voters approved Tuesday, city residents will notice some quick changes early next year. On Jan. 2, City Council will increase from five to seven members, including Mayor-elect Sal Panto Jr. serving as president and another new member appointed by council. On that same day, council might hire the mayor's recommended appointees for finance director, city administrator and city solicitor. Other changes might take longer. The city, for example, will not be able to raise the property tax beyond a 25-mill limit.

Three of six candidates will be voted in to Easton City Council on Tuesday in an election that will decide who will try to solve the city's serious challenges. For example, there is a police department under scrutiny from lawsuits filed by two former police officers and a rookie officer was suspended 30 days without pay for driving in to a convenience store after drinking while off-duty. The city of 26,200 could also potentially face a $4 million deficit by 2010. Some say economic development is moving too slowly, which includes transforming the former Pomeroy's department store on Northampton Street into a condominium-commercial complex.

By Harley Rissmiller Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | August 13, 2007

Phillipsburg Town Council has approved asking for more than $110,000 in grants and loans to bring new businesses into town. In three separate votes Tuesday, council approved two grant applications to the New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone Authority and one loan application totaling $111,500 to help a new carpet business move to S. Main Street and an electric supply company to Stockton Street. Because Phillipsburg is an economically depressed town, its downtown and certain other areas have been designated a state Urban Enterprise Zone, which permits businesses to charge only 3 percent sales tax instead of 7 percent and use the tax money collected for business and downtown improvement projects.

By Charles Malinchak Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | August 7, 2007

Perkasie's shuttered skateboard park may be revitalized after Borough Council gave preliminary backing to a new park that would give skateboarders a key role in designing the facility. Council's action Monday night provided two avenues toward a new and improved park that includes allowing the existing skate surface to be moved to a new location several hundred feet away and for the formation of a skateboard park parents association. The park is about six years old and has been closed since May when council determined it could no longer care for the facility because of too much vandalism, misuse and poor performance by park attendants.

By Chris Parker and Ashley Kosciolek Of The Morning Call | August 2, 2007

Lansford Borough Council voted unanimously Wednesday to appoint a former councilwoman to fill the vacant position of council president for the rest of the year. Rose Mary Cannon was chosen for the vacancy created when former council President Joseph Genits announced his resignation July 20. The seat is on the November ballot. Cannon, 59, of 242 W. Ridge Street, said she believes she "can be [of] help right now," citing her experience. "This woman knows the town inside and out," Councilman Dwight Penberth said.

The May 15 primary election in Perkasie could turn into a retrospective referendum on a $4 million swimming pool that's made waves in the borough. Four sitting council members, Nickole Collins, Joan Handy, Harry McGonigal and Randy Walck, call the Menlo Park pool a much-needed addition that could help boost the borough's economy. The pool will open soon. A trio of candidates calling itself the "Perkasie Pride" slate -- Martin Gahman, James E. Purcell and Maria Slowik, all former council members -- have been critical of the pool project.